Five easy ways to eat like the people who live the longest

Increasing our healthspan is set to be big in 2024, and jumping straight on the zeitgeist with his latest book How Not to Age, is the American longevity guru Dr Michael Greger. In a nutshell (what else?), his principal advice for living a long and healthy life is to eat like someone from a Blue Zone. 

Blue Zones are the five geographical locations worldwide with the lowest rates of chronic disease and the longest life expectancy. The Blue Zone diet is almost completely plant-based, with a small amount of fish, dairy and eggs and a minimal amount of meat – just 60g or less, five times per month. 

There are also certain foods specific to the different Blue Zones that the locals swear by for their good health. Here are five easy ways to add them to your repertoire and perhaps they might just help you live to a ripe old age too.

Sweet potatoes from Okinawa

Okinawa has 68 centenarians for every 100,000 inhabitants, about three times that of the UK, thought to be largely thanks to their diet, which is very high in starchy carbohydrates – one in the eye for Dr Atkins. But here it’s not pasta, bread or even rice that they eat in abundance, but the complex carbohydrates found in vegetables, notably the local purple sweet potatoes called beni imo.

If you can track down the purple variety they are very rich in cell-protective antioxidants; if not, regular orange ones are a good stand-in, packed with complex carbs, fibre and nutrients such as beta-carotene which is important for skin and eye health and immunity. The tastiest way to eat them is roasted. Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and perhaps a sprinkle of chilli flakes, and roast at 210C fan for 35-40 minutes in the oven, turning once.

Squash from the Nicoya Peninsula 

In the Nicoya region of Costa Rica, ayote or calabaza squash (similar to butternut) eaten together with corn and beans, is often referred to as ‘the three sisters’, such is its place at the heart of the local cuisine. Squash is a good source of complex carbohydrates as well as vitamin A, magnesium and potassium. Corn provides more complex carbs, vitamins C, B1 and B9 and beans are rich in protein and fibre.

You can rustle up a healthy, balanced, Nicoya-inspired salad by placing 500g of diced butternut squash in a large bowl, cover and microwave for 7 minutes or so until just tender. Allow to cool, then mix in a drained and rinsed tin of black beans, a tin of sweetcorn and a good glug of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, a dash of Tabasco, or other hot sauce, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Finish with a large handful of coriander leaves and some chopped avocado for additional healthy fats.

Pecorino cheese from Sardinia 

Most of us need no encouragement when it comes to eating cheese, so pecorino will be a welcome addition to the weekly shop. It’s similar to Parmesan in texture but is made from sheep’s milk rather than cow’s, and is tangier and saltier than its more familiar cousin. Whilst dairy is generally minimised in the Blue Zone diet, pecorino is rich in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is linked to lowering inflammation and supporting heart health.

Make a delicious broccoli and pecorino soup by heating 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add a diced red onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic and fry gently for a few minutes. Add 2 chopped heads of broccoli, 1 heaped tsp of smooth Dijon mustard and 50g of finely grated pecorino cheese. Add enough vegetable stock to cover and season well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Allow to cool a little before blending to a smooth consistency.

Black-eyed peas from Ikaria

Ikaria is known as the island where ‘people forget to die’ so if our aim is longevity, where better to seek the answers? Black-eyed peas are a diet staple in Ikaria, often used in place of meat as a source of lean protein, and are packed with micronutrients and antioxidants. 

Make this black-eyed pea ‘longevity’ stew, adapted from the Blue Zones website, for maximum health benefits. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat and sauté a finely diced red onion, 4 crushed cloves of garlic and a chopped fennel bulb for 10 minutes. Add a drained tin of black-eyed peas, a finely chopped ripe tomato, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 2 bay leaves, enough water to cover by about an inch and season well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced down to a sauce. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving.

Almonds from Loma Linda

Perhaps most surprising of all the Blue Zones is Loma Linda in southern California, given that life expectancy in the United States generally has declined to 76.4 years, the shortest it’s been in nearly two decades. Loma Linda, a small community of around nine thousand Seventh-day Adventists, has bucked the trend and residents live on average a decade longer than their compatriots by following a vegetarian diet and doing regular exercise. 

One of the foods they are particularly keen on is almonds. Almonds are high in antioxidants, vitamin E, protein and fibre with an impressive CV of health benefits, from better blood sugar control to lowering cholesterol levels. Make a batch of spicy snacking almonds by coating 200g whole almonds in a mixture of 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp runny honey, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper and ½ tsp salt. Roast on a baking tray for 25 minutes at 180C fan, turning once. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.